Pre -season ski training usually means squat, jump, deadlift, squat, jump into a squat and squat some more. This move isn’t anything different, just with a bit of a twist.

This squat focuses on “exploding” as you extend through your glutes and hips to stand up. Building explosive power is important in skiing because this is what powers us through our turns, helps us stomp airs, and avoid injuries all season long. Instead of moving through the entire squat at an even pace, the objective of this squat is to power out of the bottom position, almost like you are jumping back up. Due to the resistance of the bands, it is also important that you rack less weight than you normally would. For example, I usually squat around 155 lbs for a 5×3 workout. For the band squat, I only used 85 lbs!

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Even though this squat focuses more on light weight and explosiveness than building strength through heavy lifting, it is no excuse to get lazy with your squat!

5. Go for the full squat, break parallel. It actually does more damage to your knees and is less affective to only do a 90 degree traditional squat. A full squat will engage your quads, hamstrings, glutes, core, and shoulders. It will also increase the flexibility in your hips.

6. When standing back up, focus on pushing the floor apart with your feet; this will allow your knees to be in a solid position avoiding the tendency to collapse inwards.